Campaign
Let’s go on a journey!
Aleksander Shilling
I love travelling by train. It’s an adventure. It is also much better for the environment than flying - Eurostar emits 10 times less CO2 than flying from London to Paris or Brussels. However, money pressure can often mean that people travel on cheap airlines, one of the biggest contributors to global warming. We need to change our actions – fast. Travelling by train is a fun way to do this, seeing the sights and saving the planet. However, I believe that for people to choose to travel by train there need to be big improvements. I believe that pressure must be put on National Rail and the train operating companies to lower long-distance fares and also on the government to build high-speed lines quickly, as well as the on-going focus on punctuality. Train travel must be made more accessible to everyone so that everyone can fully enjoy a real journey.
Comments
I don't agree with your "Let's make it cheaper" argument but I do agree with your "Let's travel by train" argument. You have my vote. Brian, maintaining the infrastructure is generally of a lower cost (both financially and to the environment) than keeping aircraft and facilities in working order, not least because the only major danger areas of a train are the track, wheels and signalling whereas the failure of virtually anything in a modern pressurised airliner can result in death and disaster.
MrIPRights, 14 August 2008 16:46
How much energy goes into laying rail and the supporting infrastructure than flying?
Brian O'donnel, 14 August 2008 09:22
That;s rubbish! Airlines tend to be commericially more stable than trains; i.e. it is quicker for travelling on business missions, etc. and much less tiresome. We should consider replanting and stabilising the environment instead of trying to bring the emissions down because people aren't going to listen. For eg. China contributed to immensely high emissions to expand its economy but it is now trying more environmentally friendly goals, that aside, India is trying to expand its economy and has nearly tripled its emissions in the past couple of years. People arent gonna stop till all the coal and fossil fuels are used up; that is exactly what the global economy demands. Business people and cargo travels faster by flights, and maritime trade is the highest for all countries especially island countries like the U.K. and cargo ships release similiar amounts into the environment when you consider there are oil spillages into the seas which evaporates to produce acid rain and also kills sealife, it also emits greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere. Without marine trade island countries like the U.K., Americas, Sri Lanka, Greenland, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, etc. wont survive meaning people will go into poverty, and I think you get the rest. We have more than enough starving population in the world thank you very much. I guess common ppl could travel more using trains but consider ppl travelling really far; more ppl go to farther places for holidays and things. I think Brian is absolutely correct, it still looks like lot of emissions for maintenance and runnning.
Cire Drawde, 09 September 2009 20:01